You may have heard about acid rain, but where does it come from and how does it have an impact on species’ life? Read this article to find out!
Figure 1: An image of regular rain/snow falling in the city
Introduction
In the atmosphere, acidic gasses like SOx and NOx are always present. These soluble gasses combine with water vapor to generate powerful acids like sulfuric and nitric acids when exposed to sunlight. These acids dwell in the sky as aerosols alongside clouds, and when it rains, they descend to the earth together with the raindrops. As a result, rainwater in the natural world becomes the dreaded acid rain.
Figure 2: This image illustrates the pathway for acid rain in our environment: (1) Emissions of SO2 and NOx are released into the air, where (2) the pollutants are transformed into acid particles that may be transported long distances. (3) These acid particles then fall to the earth as wet and dry deposition (dust, rain, snow, etc.) and (4) may cause harmful effects on soil, forests, streams, and lakes. Source: epa.gov
When does Rain be Called “Acid Rain”?
In chemistry, the pH parameter is typically used to express a substance's acidity or alkalinity. Acidic substances have a pH value below 7, and the lower this number, the higher the acidity. The defining pH value for acid rain is still a subject of considerable debate. The European Economic Commission (ECE) defines acid rain as rain that contains acids (H2SO4 and HNO3) and has a pH of 5.5 or lower. However, different nations have different laws governing the pH limit value that indicates acid rain. For instance, in the US, acid rain is defined as rain with a pH of less than 5.0, but in India, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand, the indicator is pH less than 5.6. The upper limit to describe acid rain is distilled water. Acid rain is currently defined as having a pH value more than 5.6 (the pH value of a saturated carbonic acid solution in distilled water). As a result, all precipitation with a pH reading below 5.6 is regarded as acid rain.
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain harms the ecosystem when it flows through the soil, acidic rainwater can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes. The more acid that is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released. And of course, as everything in an ecosystem is connected, acid rain can have an impact on everything else, including humans.
Citations
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